ENERGY PLANNING IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES -- THE TURKISH CAS

Energy is one of the most important inputs in the process of development. Although extensive studies on energy production and consumption of industrialized countries exist, studies concerning energy in developing nations, expecially taking into account the importance and place of traditional fuels, have either not been made or have begun only recently. Since energy shortcomings promise to have serious economic, political and social consequences, energy planning should constitute the most important aspect of overall development planning in developing countries.;Turkey, an energy-importing developing country, presently depends heavily on imported petroleum. The increases in international petroleum prices have affected the Turkish economy adversely, and promises to be the same in the future unless dependence on imported petroleum is reduced by substituting other resources for petroleum. Taking into account the degree of the present Turkish economic development and the level of industrialization attained, and the direction Turkish economy is heading in general, electricity from nuclear power plants, along with the development and use of other energy resources, is found to be the most suitable substitute in this study. This is in contradiction with the present official policy of utilizing domestic lignite and hydro resources.;"Energy self-sufficiency at any cost" does not seem to be a possibility for the near future in Turkey, neither is it as vitally important as has been strived for the past. Nuclear fuels, supplied in part from domestic sources and also from Western nations, of which Turkey is a partner, will reduce Turkey's economic and political vulnerability and reliance on the unstable and unpredictable regimes supplying most of Turkey's petroleum today.;The establishment of nuclear power stations and the development of new energy resources and improvements in the existing energy resources will necessitate an overhauling and restructuring of all institutions related to energy as well as rewriting laws pertaining to energy matters in Turkey. It is the conviction of the author that unless administrative reforms are realized, the technical development of energy producing facilities alone will not suffice to solve the future energy needs of Turkey.